high-quality foods and remind critics that
it’s actually possible to save money on a
Paleo diet by ditching expensive packaged
snack foods. “Many of us spend so much
money on junk processed foods,” says Sisson.
“I can show you many families who, once
they took out a bunch of junk, saw their food
bills actually decline. You can literally save
money doing this.”

Dining out and traveling

Another oft-heard criticism of Paleo is
the difficulty the diet presents for traveling
and dining out. While the convenience factor definitely takes a hit with the Paleo lifestyle, adherents find that a little prep-work
enables them to enjoy the freedom of travel
without compromising their dietary principles. “For traveling, I usually tell people to
think ahead and prepare,” says Sanfilippo.
“Pack snacks like jerky, nuts, hard-boiled
eggs and cut-up veggies. I take wild canned

Winter Kale &Persimmon Salad

THIS FRUITY, TANGY salad is mega-tasty and super
nutritious. Plus, it takes only five minutes to prepare, so
you can hastily assemble it to pack for lunch in the
office or to accompany a hearty dinner on a cold night.

And unlike many other salad greens, kale holds up
beautifully and tastes even better the next day. How
nutrient-packed is kale? On the Aggregate Nutrient
Density Index, which measures nutrient density per calorie, kale’s the only food with a perfect score of 1,000.

Cut the kale into a chiffonade by stacking the leaves,
rolling them tightly and cutting across the rolled leaves
to produce fine ribbons.

In a large bowl, toss together the kale and the
persimmon slices. Dress with the vinaigrette to taste,
and massage the dressing into the kale with your
hands. Top with slivered almonds and serve.

Makes 2 servings.

; For this recipe, use a tomato-shaped Fuyu persimmon. Fuyu persimmons have a crisp, apple-like texture,
and add a floral sweetness and crunch to this salad.

; Kale salads aren’t just for the winter. In the summer, use sliced stone fruit (peaches, plums, pluots,
nectarines or even pitted cherries) in place of the persimmon for a sweet and tangy variation.

salmon and make my own salmon salad. Ipack it in a container with lettuce and 2ounces of dressing on the side. Then I canput it together once I get on the plane.”In fact, Costco member Michelle Tamstarted her Paleo journey while traveling.On a family cruise, she was feasting her eyesupon the culinary cornucopia of the ship’sbuffet when she observed an overweightman confined to a motorized wheelchairpiling his plate high with bread and maplesyrup. The scene flipped a switch for Tam,and she decided to go Paleo then and there.Armed with a bachelor’s in nutrition andfood sciences, a doctoratein pharmacy and a love forcooking, she used herknowledge to craft creativePaleo recipes for her familyand shared them on herblog, NomNomPaleo.com.

After making the dietary
switch, “things that I thought
were normal [went away],
like rumbly [gastrointesti-nal] stuff, nagging tendon-itis and my muffin top,” she
says. “It definitely changed
my body composition. I’m
definitely stronger and can
run around with my kids.”

Cookware

Tam admits that she’s a
kitchen “gadget queen,” but
says “you just need a frying
pan and a good knife” to
cook most Paleo recipes.

However, as a busy workingmom, she finds that addinga few gadgets to her kitchenarsenal helps maximizecooking efficiency. She rec-ommends enameled cast-iron cookware, a Vitamixblender and a water ovencalled a sous vide. “Withexpensive cuts of meat, it’sperfect because you can’truin them,” Tam says of the sous vide. “Withcheaper cuts, you can keep them in the wateroven long enough that they tenderize in 48to 72 hours.”Though it may seem challenging to dis-card grains and other dietary staples, propo-nents believe the benefits trump the sacrifice.“Just try it for 21 to 30 days,” urges Tam. “Seehow it feels; see if you feel better and havemore energy; see if the pain, discomfort andlack of energy you were experiencing beforego away. It’s only three weeks to a month, andit is only food. Just see how you feel.” C

Jennifer Babisak is a Houston-based writer
who specializes in travel and wellness.

Slow CookerKalua Pork

YOU WON’T FIND an easier or more succulent kalua
pork recipe than this one. All you need is a big pork
roast, some bacon, Hawaiian sea salt and patience.

Remember: Quality matters—especially when you’re
using just a handful of ingredients—so buy the best
roast you can get your hands on, and let the slow
cooker do the rest.

3 bacon slices

5-pound Boston butt pork roast
(bone in or boneless)

1½ tablespoons coarse (or 1 tablespoon fine)

red Hawaiian sea salt

Line the bottom of a slow cooker with the strips
of bacon. Evenly salt the pork with the Hawaiian sea
salt. Put the roast in the slow cooker on top of the
bacon, skin side up.

Cook the roast on low for about 16 hours.

Remove the meat from the pot and set it on a plate.

Shred the meat with a couple of forks and
adjust the seasoning with some of the remaining
cooking liquid.

Once the pork’s properly seasoned, remove the
remaining liquid from the pot and return the meat
to the slow cooker to keep it warm until you’re ready
to serve it. Makes 8 servings.

Recipes courtesy of Michelle Tam

Athlete and
author
Mark Sisson
attributes
the Paleo
lifestyle to
his impressive
health and
fitness.

The Costco Connection

Costco members will find a variety of Paleo
cookbooks in select warehouses, along with
cookware, fresh meats, vegetables, fruits,
nuts and blenders. You’ll also find blenders
and a sous vide water oven on Costco.com.